Railway swimming pool car

ABSTRACT

A railway car with a built-in swimming pool is provided for use with a passenger train. The car is formed with a water-proof open top tank extending lengthwise along the mid-portion thereof where passengers may swim. A catwalk extends lengthwise above the pool to permit passengers to move through the train when passing from one car to another. Movable baffles are automatically operated to contain the water in the pool when the train accelerates, decelerates or stops.

United States Patent [191 Laudato, Jr.

[ Sept. 16, 1975 RAILWAY SWIMMING POOL CAR [76] Inventor: Gaetano J. Laudato, Jr., 2

Lamartine Pl., Jamaica Plain, Mass. 02130 1 Filed: June 7,1973

[ Appl. No.: 367,744

[52] US. Cl 105/238 R; 4/172; 105/236; 105/340 [51] Int. Cl B65j l/22 [58] Field of Search 4/172, 172.19, 171; 105/238 R, 236, 238, 340; ll4/43.5

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,869,255 7/1932 Hicken 105/236 2,811,932 11/1957 Clary 105/340 OTHER PUBLICATIONS The British Motor Ship, Dec 1944, p. 27.

Primary ExaminerM. Henson Wood, Jr. Assistant ExaminerRichard A. Bertsch Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Morse, Altman, Oates & Bello [5 7] ABSTRACT A railway car with a built-in swimming pool is provided for use with a passenger train. The car is formed with a water-proof open top tank extending lengthwise along the mid-portion thereof where passengers may swim. A catwalk extends lengthwise above the pool to permit passengers to move through the train when passing from one car to another. Movable bafiles are automatically operated to contain the water in the pool when the train accelerates, decelerates or stops.

4 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures RAILWAY SWIIWIVIING POOL CAR BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates generally to railway cars and more particularly is directed towards a railway car with a built-in swimming pool for use by passengers.

2. Description of the Prior Art The cross-country railroad passenger business has declined dramatically in the past decade or so for sev eral reasons. Included amongst these is a loss of business to airlines which can provide much faster transportation at competitive prices. Buses also have taken a large share of the cross-country passenger business primarily due to lower rates.

Many cross-country travelers would prefer to go by train but because of the tedium involved in a long train trip which may take several days, most usually elect to go by air. Typically, cross-country trains are made up of several passenger cars, some of which may be Pullman cars, others may contain sleeping compartments and normally at least one dining car will be included in the train. Thus, there is very little in the way of activities to interest the passengers nor is there any opportunity to exercise during the trip.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a railway car having a built-in swimming pool for use by passengers particularly dur ng an extended journey. Another object of this invention is to provide a railway swimming pool with automatic baffies to control the shifting of water in the pool when the train starts, stops or decelerates.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention features a railway car with a built-in swimming pool, comprising a closed car formed with an integral. open-pool extending substantially the length of the car and formed with integral access stairs. A catwalk extends length-wise above the pool to provide a dry passageway for passengers. Movable baffles mounted to the car normally are retracted against the sides of the car. Actuating means responsive to braking of the train will cause the baffles to move in a transverse position across the pool to inhibit the shifting of water during a stopping motion.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a sectional view in side elevation of a railway pool car made according to the invention,

FIG. 2 is a sectional top plan view thereof,

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 33 of FIG. 2, and,

FIG. 4 is a crosssectional view taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings, the reference character generally indicates a railway car of conventional exterior construction formed with a heavy, rigid chassis 12 carried by sets of wheels 14 and 16 at either end thereof. The chassis 12 is formed with a depressed center portion 18 between the wheels 14 and 16 to provide maximum interior clearance between the bottom of the car and its roof 20. The car 10 is of standard height to conform with other cars and otherwise meet railway specifications and may be structurally reinforced by trusses 21. The length of the train is optional. Within the car an open-top tank is formed by sidewalls 22 and 23 and end walls 24 and 25. Transverse steps 26 and 28 extend from the bottom of the tank up to a height of perhaps one-third the height of the car and are located at diagonally opposite ends of the tank.

The steps 26 and 28 extend from the ends of the depressed portion 18 on the carriage upwardly in diverging directions to platforms 30 and 32 mounted horizontally above the sets of wheels 14 and 16. Auxiliary equipment such as pumps, filters, and heating equipment may be conveniently located in the voids below each platform. The end walls 24 and 25 form with the side-walls 22 and 24 a watertight pool adapted to contain a quantity of water 34, the height of which normally will be below the plane of the platforms 30 and 32 so that during normal train motion, the water will be kept within the pool. Typically, the walls 22 and 24 as well as the end walls 24 and 25 will be fabricated of heavy plate steel or other rugged structural material adapted to contain and support the weight of the water. The pool may be lined with a suitable waterproof coating of paint, plastic, ceramic tile or the like and seats 35, are conveniently provided at the bottom of the tank and on the platforms 30 and 32.

Extending lengthwise above the pool between the platforms 30 and 32 is a catwalk 36 terminating at either end with steps 38 and 40 to provide clearance above the surface of the pool. An upper handrail 42 is also provided whereby passengers may pass through the pool car when moving from one car to another and a pair of lower handrails 43 are positioned for use by the bathers. In practice, the clearance between the catwalk 36 and the car roof 20 should be at least 6 feet to accommodate persons of average height. At each end of the car along the platforms 30 and 32 are groups of small rooms or closets 44 and 45 where swimmers may store their bathing equipment, clothes and the like. The lockers may be made sufficiently large to permit the bathers to enter and change their clothes and preferably are provided with seat lockers 46 for storing valuables while bathing. A bathroom 47 and a storage room 48 are provided at diagonally opposite ends of the car.

Because of the relatively large quantity of water 34 in the pool and the free surface formed thereby, means are provided to control shifting of the water when the train accelerates or decelerates, particularly under emergency conditions. It will be unerstood that if the train were to stop suddenly, inertia would cause a substantial mass of water to move forwardly, possibly flooding the car, causing injury to passengers and damage to the vehicle. In order to avoid such occurance, movable baffles 48 and 50 are provided. The baffles are arranged in spaced staggered relation and hinged to opposite sides of the car walls 22 and 24 by hinges 52 and 54.

Operatively connected to each of the hinged baffles, is an actuating mechanism preferably located in or below the car ceiling and typically comprised of a pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder 56 engaging a pivoted Y joint 58, one leg of which is connected to the sidewalls and the other leg of which connected to the baffle through a crank arm 59 and shaft 61. The cylinder 56 is connected to the braking system of the car, which normally is actuated, so that, when a train engineer applies brakes to the train, he will at the same time automatically actuate each of the cylinders 56. This will cause each cylinders piston rod 60 to extend and thereby spread the Y joint 58, causing each baffle to move from the retracted position of FIG. 2 to an extended position transversely across the pool. The baffles along both sides swing out so as to inhibit displacement of the water forwardly or rearwardly from the pool. In practice, the baffle actuating mechanism will be relatively slow to allow the bathers sufficient time to move clear of the baffles. An audible alarm and/or flashing lights 62 may be actuated by the braking system to provide warning to the swimmers to move clear of the baffles.

At each end of the pool is a catch basin 64 formed between an end wall and a bulkhead 66, best shown in FIG. 3. The bulk-head is formed with several small drain ports 68 below the waterline and with several large overflow ports 70 above the waterline. Each of the larger ports 70 is provided with a check valve 72 that allows water to flow in through the ports 70 but not out through these ports. Thus, if a wave of water rises to the ports 70 they will open to admit the water and will then close, the excess water returning to the main tank through the ports 68.

The car preferably is equipped with side windows as well as skylight windows in the roof. Also, vents 74 which may include motor-driven fans 76, are mounted in the roof to ventilate the car.

The pool car may be attached to a regular passenger train to provide entertainment and exercise for the passengers, particularly during an extended trip.

Having thus described the invention what l claim and desire to obtain by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A railway car, comprising a. a chassis,

b. a cabin mounted to said chassis,

c. said cabin being formed with an open-top tank along the bottom thereof adapted to contain a quantity of water therein, and,

d. at least one baffle movably mounted to said chassis from a position transverse thereof and actuating means connected to said baffle.

2. A railway car according to claim 1 wherein said actuating means is responsive to the brakes of said car.

3. A railway car according to claim 2 including signal means responsive to operation of said actuating means.

4. A railway car, comprising a. a chassis, and,

b. a cabin mounted to said chassis,

c. said cabin being formed with an open top tank along the bottom thereof adapted to contain a quantity of water therein,

(1. said tank including a transverse bulkhead adjacent opposite ends of said tank and formed with at least one port above the waterline and another port below the waterline and a check valve in said port above the waterline. 

1. A railway car, comprising a. a chassis, b. a cabin mounted to said chassis, c. said cabin being formed with an open-top tank along the bottom thereof adapted to contain a quantity of water therein, and, d. at least one baffle movably mounted to said chassis from a position transverse thereof and actuating means connected to said baffle.
 2. A railway car according to claim 1 wherein said actuating means is responsive to the brakes of said car.
 3. A railway car according to claim 2 including signal means responsive to operation of said actuating means.
 4. A railway car, comprising a. a chassis, and, b. a cabin mounted to said chassis, c. said cabin being formed with an open top tank along the bottom thereof adapted to contain a quantity of water therein, d. said tank including a transverse bulkhead adjacent opposite ends of said tank and formed with at least one port above the waterline and another port below the waterline and a check valve in said port above the waterline. 